Calcite-based stones, such as marble, limestone (e.g., travertine), or onyx, can be used as surface materials and as flooring materials in bathrooms, kitchens, and buildings in general. However, such stones can be sensitive to cleaning compositions with acidic or strongly alkaline pH.
The sensitivity to acidic pH can be particularly problematic with bathroom surfaces, where acidic cleaners can be used to remove lime soap soils. Lime soap soils are colloquially called “soap scum” and are a reaction product of water hardness ions (calcium and magnesium) and fatty acids of soaps. Lime soap soils are generally known as challenging soils to remove, and can make the affected surface more difficult to clean and more susceptible to buildup of other soils and biofilm. Lime soap soils can be dissolved with acidic cleaners. However, acidic cleaners can damage calcite-based stone surfaces and are therefore not recommended for use with such surfaces. It is against this background that the present disclosure is made.